Recipe of the week: Breakfast chili: An iconic California treat

Few great restaurants deign to serve breakfast, said Russ Parsons in

the Los Angeles Times. Northern California’s Cafe Beaujolais, in Mendocino, was an exception. On this windswept, often chilly coast, “tourists have the time and the need for a serious meal at the beginning of the day.” Owner-chef Margaret Fox’s black bean chili and buttermilk cinnamon coffeecake gradually became tourist attractions in their own right. These days, the restaurant still serves dinner, but its breakfast has fallen victim to competition from a spate of new bed-and-breakfasts. Fox’s recipes have recently been collected in Morning Food: Breakfasts, Brunches, and More for Savoring the Best Part of the Day (Ten Speed Press). You can now sample the iconic chili without even leaving your home:

Recipe of the week

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Black Bean Chili

4 cups dry black beans

2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 cups finely chopped yellow onions

1-1/2 cups finely chopped green bell peppers

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1-1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

3 cups (1 28-oz can) crushed whole tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped jalapeño chilies

(2 large jalapeños)

1/2 pound Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated

Sour cream

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

8 sprigs or 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Sort through the beans; discard the funky ones and any small pebbles. Rinse well. Place the beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by several inches. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 1-3/4 hours, or until tender. Water should always cover the

beans, so add more if the beans start to peek through. When the beans are

cooked, strain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the reserved cooking water back to the beans.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Toast the cumin seeds and oregano in a

small pan until the fragrance is toasty, about 10 minutes. Sauté the onions,

bell peppers, and garlic in the oil over medium-high heat with the toasted cumin seeds and herbs, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chilies. Add this mixture

to the beans and stir well. Add additional seasoning to taste.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup grated cheese in a warmed bowl, add a generous cup of beans, and dollop with a spoonful of sour cream. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp green onions and cilantro. Serves 8.